


UNEXPAND(1L)      MISC. REFERENCE MANUAL PAGES       UNEXPAND(1L)



NAME
     unexpand - convert spaces to tabs

SYNOPSIS
     unexpand [-tab1[,tab2[,...]]]  [-t  tab1[,tab2[,...]]]  [-a]
     [--tabs=tab1[,tab2[,...]]] [--all] [file...]

DESCRIPTION
     This manual page documents  the  GNU  version  of  unexpand.
     unexpand  writes  the  contents  of  each given file, or the
     standard input if none are given or when a file named `-' is
     given,  to  the standard output, with strings of two or more
     space or tab characters converted to as many tabs as  possi-
     ble  followed  by as many spaces as are needed.  By default,
     unexpand converts only initial spaces and tabs  (those  that
     precede  all  non space or tab characters) on each line.  It
     preserves backspace characters in the output; they decrement
     the column count for tab calculations.  By default, tabs are
     set at every 8th column.

  OPTIONS
     -, -_t, --_t_a_b_s _t_a_b_1[,_t_a_b_2[,...]]
          If only one tab stop is given, set the tabs _t_a_b_1 spaces
          apart  instead  of  the  default 8.  Otherwise, set the
          tabs at columns _t_a_b_1, _t_a_b_2, etc. (numbered from 0)  and
          leave   spaces  and  tabs  beyond  the  tabstops  given
          unchanged.  If the tabstops are specified with  the  -_t
          or  --_t_a_b_s  option,  they can be separated by blanks as
          well as by commas.  This option implies the -_a option.

     -_a, --_a_l_l
          Convert all strings of two or more spaces or tabs,  not
          just initial ones, to tabs.

     The long-named options can be introduced with `+' as well as
     `--',  for compatibility with previous releases.  Eventually
     support for `+' will be removed, because it is  incompatible
     with the POSIX.2 standard.

















Sun Release 4.1           Last change:                          1



